Admission

General remarks

Admission to all study programs at ETH is processed through the Rektorat (Rector’s Office). It provides students with all the relevant information, in particular on transferring from another university or switching from another study program, on the recognition of student credits already acquired, and on any specific admission requirements.

The D-MATH/D-PHYS CSE Master Program is scheduled to last 1½ years.  CSE Bachelor students can enrol directly in the CSE Master program provided they need to acquire only a small number of credit (ECTS) points. Students from outside ETH must apply for enrolment at the ETH Zürich Rector’s Office. The application may be made before the required academic degree has actually been earned. The Zulassungsausschuss RW (Admission Committee CSE) assesses the candidates’ knowledge level in the relevant subjects and their suitability for the Master program. It then formulates a recommendation for admission or non-admission addressed to the Studienvorsteher (Head of Student Studies D-MATH/D-PHYS), together with information on credit points acquired and those still to be earned. Candidates that would need to acquire 60 or more credit points cannot be admitted to the CSE Master program. They may apply for admission to the CSE Bachelor program.

Admission to the CSE Master Program

Admission requirements
Individuals requesting admission to the CSE Master Program will generally have to meet the following requirements:

1. They have a CSE Bachelor degree from D-MATH/D-PHYS.
2. They have a Bachelor degree comprising at least 180 credit points (ECTS) from a university or from a Swiss university of applied science, or a university qualification of at least equivalent value in a subject which qualifies them for admission to the CSE Master program. The subject background required (Requirement Profile, see Download) is detailed in the appendix to the Study Regulations 2005 for the CSE Master Program. The following conditions also apply:
   a. Candidates must be in possession of a certificate showing that they would be admitted to a Master program in a corresponding subject in their home university or home country, assuming that such study programs are offered there.
   b. They must demonstrate that their knowledge of the teaching languages – German and English – is adequate.
   

The Rector decides on exceptions based on the recommendation of the Head of Student Studies D MATH/D-PHYS.

Admission procedure
CSE Bachelor students from D-MATH/D-PHYS can enrol directly in the CSE Mas-ter Program provided they need to acquire no more than 30 credit points to gain a Bachelor degree. The dates and deadlines for enrolment apply as issued by ETH. Admission is conditional on the student gaining the Bachelor degree. The right of admission lapses if the student does not gain the Bachelor degree or cannot gain it because he or she has failed performance controls or has exceeded the maximum permitted study duration for the Bachelor Program. The Rector decides on exceptions based on the recommendation of the Head of Student Studies D-MATH/D-PHYS.

All other candidates must apply for admission to the CSE Master Program at the ETH Zurich Rector's Office. The application may be registered before the required academic degree has been earned. The procedure for this is determined by the Rector. The D-MATH/D-PHYS Admission Committee CSE (Zulassungsauschuss RW) assesses the candidates' knowledge level in the relevant subjects and their suitability for the Master Program. It then formulates a recommendation for admission or non-admission which is submitted to the Head of Student Studies D-MATH/D-PHYS, together with information on credit points acquired and those still to be earned. The Rector decides, based on the recommendation of the Head of Student Studies D-MATH/D-PHYS, on admission or non-admission, as well as on the number of credit points acknowledged and those still to be earned. The student may not join the Master Program until the required university degree or certificates of achievement have been acquired.

Important note for the applicant
An application to the MSc programme CSE at ETH Zurich is pointless, unless your academic record clearly states that you had an education (course) in

• basic mathematics (calculus and linear algebra)
• programming (some high level programming language laike C, C++, FORTRAN, etc.)
• basic numerical methods
• foundations of physics
  

For more details consult http://www.rw.ethz.ch/master/MSc_CSE-Requ_Profile2010.pdf

Important links for students from outside ETH

International Student Information: www.study.ethz.ch

Exchange Programmes: www.mobilitaet.ethz.ch/incomings/index_EN

Application forms (electronic): www.eapply.ethz.ch

Admission office:  www.rektorat.ethz.ch/students/admission/index_EN

Refusal of admission
Candidates will not be admitted to the CSE Master Program if they still need to complete studies accounting for more than 60 credit points to qualify for admission. These candidates may apply for admission to the CSE Bachelor Program. The details of the admission procedure are regulated in the Rules on Admission to Studies at ETH (Zulassungsverordnung ETHZ).